The Los Angeles Lakers will waive second-year forward Matt Ryan ahead of the Dec. 15 trade deadline, according to sources. In September, Ryan signed a non-guaranteed one-year contract.
A player signed in the summer will be eligible for a trade in mid-December. In 12 games off the bench this season, Ryan is averaging 3.9 points, 1.2 rebounds and 10.8 minutes per game.
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Sources say the Lakers are releasing point guard Matt Ryan @Athletics @ Stadium. Ryan impressed against LA, shooting 38.2 percent from 3, including a clutch shot against the Pelicans in November. The move will open up a roster spot for the Lakers before the Dec. 15 trade deadline.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 1, 2022
In addition, the 25-year-old is shooting 30.6% from the field and 37.1% from three-point range. In the year On April 10, 2022, in a game against the Boston Celtics, the wing finished with three points and one steal in a 139–110 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
In the year On Nov. 2, in the Lakers’ 120-117 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, the Chattanooga product scored a game-high 11 points in 19 minutes. He finished 4-of-11 (36.4%) from the floor and 3-9 (33.3%) from beyond the arc.
The Lakers are preparing to waive second-year forward Matt Ryan to open up a roster spot before the Dec. 15 trade deadline.
With the Lakers opening up roster space, which player(s) does the front office consider trading? Last month The Ring’s Bill Simmons mentioned Anthony Davis on his podcast.
“There’s some buzz, there’s some rumblings that there might be an AD,” the NBA analyst said. “That’s Plan B because if a Westbrook trade — or if you think you can get it for Westbrook and want to give up future assets — maybe that doesn’t make sense. “Because if you’re a shipper, what do you get?
“We’ve got Davis here, who hasn’t looked the same to me for two years, certainly nowhere near the Davis bubble. [2020]. This is the last time we saw the 2018 vintage. [New Orleans] Pelicans rank Davis.
Should the Lakers trade Pat Bev? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/BlK3Rj3xk0
— The Score (@theScore) November 29, 2022
Davis is averaging 26.3 points, 12.7 boards, 2.6 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.3 blocks this season. While he’s still playing great basketball, everyone wonders whether or not the eight-time All-Star can stay healthy. He only played in 40 games last season.
Russell Westbrook has also been the subject of a few NBA trade rumors. The two-time goalscoring champions have made a slow start to the 2022-23 campaign, but the keeper has shown his younger form off the bench.
Still, some Lakers fans argue that Westbrook is one of the most overpaid players in the league today. The triple-double King is averaging a career-low 15 points per game. Not to mention, he’s shooting 39.9% from the floor, the guard’s worst since his rookie season.
